A panoramic image may be defined as an image that has a substantially wider view than the photographs captured by conventional cameras. For example, a panoramic image may have a width that encompasses many times the width of a conventional film camera or digital camera.
A panoramic image may be obtained by equipping a conventional film or digital camera with a lens structure that is capable of photographing a wide panoramic view. Unfortunately, the high cost of a panoramic lens structure may be out of reach of large numbers of users that desire to obtain panoramic photographs.
A panoramic image may be obtained using a specialized camera having a mechanism for rotating a camera lens systematically through a wide panoramic view. Unfortunately, such specialized cameras may also be too expensive for large numbers of users that desire panoramic photographs.
A panoramic image may be generated by using a digital camera to obtain multiple photographs of a desired scene and then using a computer to combine the obtained photographs into a panoramic photograph. Unfortunately, this method requires the use of a computer and specialized software.